The present disclosure relates generally to the field of golf balls. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods for encouraging golfers and other users to use greenhouse gas reducing golf balls, namely golf balls containing carbon dioxide absorbents.
The game of golf is an increasingly popular sport at both the amateur and professional levels. Unfortunately, the game of golf may be considered by some to be less than ideally greenhouse gas reducing. The manufacture, transportation, maintenance, and use of golf balls and golf equipment may have a high environmental impact. Namely, the manufacture of golfing equipment may be energy intensive, and may require materials that are not necessary “green.” Global warming in particular is considered to be an important environmental concern. A wide range of industries are undertaking measures to reduce their emissions of the green house gases that contribute to global warming.
In the golf ball industry, various technologies have sought to reduce green house gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. However, few technologies have enabled the golf ball itself to play a role in the fight against global warming.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0082137 to Okabe discusses how golf balls might be made more “carbon neutral” through the use of non-petroleum based polymer materials. Specifically, the use of non-petroleum based materials in golf balls may prevent an increase in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide, as renewable materials do not add any new carbon dioxide to the atmosphere whereas petroleum products release previously sequestered carbon dioxide. As a result of this prevention of an increase in carbon dioxide levels, this golf ball may thereby help prevent global warming. However this golf ball could at best be only carbon neutral, and is not capable of reducing the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Methods of encouraging environmentally friendly activity, such as recycling, by golfers are generally known in the art. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0056305 to Hebert et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety, discloses incentives for recycling golf balls. However, the methods disclosed therein do not relate to greenhouse gas reducing golf balls.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a golf ball that helps reduce greenhouse gases, for example, carbon dioxide, and methods for encouraging their use.